Masonic Village Residents Voice Their Opinions

Harriet Sterner was one of more than 380 residents who signed a petition which was sent to federal legislators on behalf of Masonic Village. The petition was in support of a bill that included an extension of increased Medicaid funding.

When petitions with hundreds of signatures and dozens of phone calls flood legislators' offices, they tend to hear the message loud and clear. Residents of Masonic Village at Elizabethtown, numbering more than 1,700, use their collective voice to influence legislation that promotes senior care and services.

Knowing the residents of Masonic Village have an awareness of current public policy issues and are actively involved in advocacy efforts led Sen. Mike Folmer to host a town hall meeting at the continuing care retirement community on Thursday, June 2 at 9:30 a.m. The event, to be held in the Deike Auditorium of the Freemasons Cultural Center, is open to the public. Folmer will share an update about the budget and accomplishments in the Senate this session, including some of his pro-taxpayer pieces of legislation. He'll provide brief remarks and take questions from the audience.

Recently, residents have been pressing federal senators and representatives to sign on to legislation to move Senate Bill 818 and House Bill 1543, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, to the floor of the House and the Senate for a vote.

S. 818 and H.R. 1543, the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act
This legislation fixes a critical problem for Medicare beneficiaries who are kept in a hospital under observation status for extended periods but are never admitted as inpatients. Upon their discharge, they are not eligible for Medicare coverage of post-acute care because they do not meet the three-day hospitalization requirement, even though they were in a hospital bed for three days or longer. These beneficiaries incur substantial out-of-pocket costs for their post-acute care.

Through the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act, a Medicare beneficiary who is kept in the hospital for 24 hours or longer will be deemed to have been admitted as an inpatient for purposes of the three-day hospitalization requirement. The legislation will ensure that if these beneficiaries need post-acute care upon their release from the hospital, Medicare will pay the cost.

Seniors in Action
In 2009, 380 residents who felt all Americans should be able to afford and access the services they need, signed a "Declaration of Choice and Independence," which was sent to Rep. Joseph Pitts. The declaration urged legislators to ensure that any health care reform incorporated the needs of long-term services and supports. In 2008, efforts to increase Medical Assistance were successful and the Medicare Therapy Caps Exception Process was extended, providing seniors more coverage for the services they need.

"We provide our residents with the facts they need, but they are the ones making the calls and sending the letters," William C. Davis, Jr., chief operating officer - health care services, said. "I think many people feel they cannot make a difference in state or federal government. Our residents take advantage of their numbers, and their efforts have been met with great success."

Advocacy will remain a priority for seniors, as the challenges of the past intensify while federal and state government officials work to set priorities on how tax dollars will be spent in the future.

For more information, please contact
Debra L. Davis, public relations coordinator
(717) 367-1121, ext. 33529
ddavis@masonicvillagespa.org

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